I’ve lived in the Great Plains for 30 years and you would think I would be used to the wacky weather we have here in South Dakota. However, each year seems to bring on its own unique challenges. The recent derecho was a new one for me. I’ve never seen wind like that before and […]
Stacking Enterprises Read More »
Rotational grazing Creates soil health which promotes plant growth. Increased soil health leads to greater drought tolerance. If you have historically season long grazed, the pastures will respond positively, over time, to rotational grazing. Plant populations and plant vigor will increase due to healthier soil. Water will infiltrate better during a rain event. Rotational grazing
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It’s no secret that ag inputs can be hard to find and expensive. Fencing supplies are a good example. I visited with Reed Cammack at Cammack Supply at Union Center and Glen Rausch of Onaka who operates a custom fencing business in addition to raising cattle. Rausch has 30+ years of experience in custom fencing.
The current drought of 2021-2022 is in progress Most ranches have started implementing their drought plans by selling off less desirable classes of cattle. Based on NOAA`s monthly long range forecasts, we are to expect above normal heat and below normal moisture April through August.Most stock dams in western South Dakota are dry or very
Watering Cattle – Combine Herds for Range Health and Drought Management Read More »
We recently attended the ND Grazing Lands Coalition Succession Planning Workshop. This event was sponsored by the National Grazing Lands Coalition and the ND Grazing Lands Coalition. Marissa Nehlsen’s Freedom Financial Group and Starion Bank were sponsors and participants along with Alfredo Delgado, a communications specialist with Brain Masters Life Coaching. One of the highlights
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UPDATE ON 2022 LANDOWNER PRESCRIBED FIRE WORKSHOPS Landowner workshop dates are April 27th & 28th at the SDSU Extension Office at Mitchell Tech and June 2nd & 3rd at the SDSU Oak Lake Field Station near Astoria. Contact Jan Rounds at the SDSU Extension office in Watertown for both locations. Janice.rounds@sdstate.edu or 605-882-5140. Registrants will
The Green Side Up: How will fire affect my plant community? Read More »
the trail boss by Charles M. Russell, is the logo of the Society for Range Management (SRM). This famous painting depicts the cowboy watching over cattle as they are driven up a valley. It is easy to look at the cowboy and imagine his job is to oversee the cattle drive. Another interesting viewpoint could
Range 101: Plant Identification Read More »
in 2022 It is not hard to find a ranch mentor who is feeding the soil to create more productive rangeland. Glenn Elzinga, Bob Kinford, and Gabe Brown are just a few of the growing group of `healthy rangeland` advocates. All three mentors practice Holistic Resource Management. Glenn Elzinga featured speaker at the Grassland Coalition
Finding the Right Balance: Holistic Resource Management Read More »
One of our board members recently posed a question about the carbon cycle and fire. The concern is that fire obviously releases carbon into the atmosphere that might otherwise be sequestered (stored) deep into the soil profile. Wouldn’t this then be counter to our organizational goals? A very legitimate question given the current state of
Ranching in the northern Great Plains is a tough place to work, especially in the winter. Traditional winter feed costs can make up 60% or more of the annual cow expense due to the costs of making and feeding hay. A typical ranch operation might feed for 90-120 days or more depending on the severity
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